Search Results for: tech

What’s so wrong with being slaves to the rhythm of the working week?

What’s so wrong with being slaves to the rhythm of the working week?

we need to rethink our attitude to the working week, and that shouldn’t mean replacing one rigid approach with anotherOne of the most familiar ways we measure time has its roots in a famous instance of daydreaming. The story goes that in 1583 a young student at the University of Pisa called Galileo Galilei was daydreaming in the pews while his fellow students were dutifully reciting their prayers. He noticed that one of the altar lamps was swaying back and forth and even as its energy dissipated, the arc of each swing slowed so that each took the same amount of time as the last, measured against his own pulse. More →

Why AI is not getting the green light for sustainability

Why AI is not getting the green light for sustainability

We think of digital solutions such as AI as being more sustainable and eco-friendly. Nothing could be further from the truthWe might think of online and digital solutions such as AI as more sustainable and eco-friendly. We have email signatures reminding us to think before hitting print and are encouraged to send e-cards with seasonal greetings to save the trees. Our overall preference to switch to all things online means that we rarely question, or even consider, the environmental impact of our computers. It’s also how the truly enormous impact of AI has, thus far, stayed off our radar. More →

Greece goes against the flow by opting for a six day working week

Greece goes against the flow by opting for a six day working week

While countries around the world are exploring the idea of shorter work weeks, Greece has taken what many people may think is a surprising step in the opposite directionWhile countries around the world are exploring the idea of shorter work weeks, Greece has taken what many people may think is a surprising step in the opposite direction. In an effort to boost productivity, the country has implemented a mandatory six-day workweek for certain employees. More →

A new renaissance in leading change at the most disruptive time in history

A new renaissance in leading change at the most disruptive time in history

We need to seek answers that are not the status quo or at least go beyond the status quo when it comes to leading changeLast January, we talked about the three biggest disrupters of our time: technology, UN sustainability goals, and societal shifts. These three disrupters have put us at a cultural crossroads we have not experienced for 100 years. As a result, we need to think differently when it comes to decisions about leading change. The world will not look, feel or be the same in 10 years time – we will not interact and live the same as we do now. The world will be very very different. According to Dex Hunter Torricke, “The next 10 years are going to be the most disruptive we have ever experienced.” More →

Ultrafabrics celebrates 25th anniversary with new and improved bio-based Volar Bio collection

Ultrafabrics celebrates 25th anniversary with new and improved bio-based Volar Bio collection

Ultrafabrics proudly commemorates its 25th anniversary of excellence in the industry with the reintroduction of its Volar Bio collection which now has a 66 percent mix of recycled, rapidly renewable and bio-based content – a remarkable achievement in sustainable innovation. More →

Save the Knowledge Worker – insights and strategies for remote-work success

Save the Knowledge Worker – insights and strategies for remote-work success

Kolekti’s new Save the Knowledge Worker reportUndoubtedly, the remote work revolution is in full swing. But it’s messy. Kolekti’s new Save the Knowledge Worker report found a colossal 96 percent of workers desire some form of remote work, and one in three employees is willing to quit if forced to return to the office full-time. And yet, which business leader can say their organisation has perfected the strategy for remote work? Most are still experimenting, tinkering, and tweaking. Even the end destination may be unclear for some. More →

People are increasingly comfortable with – and scared of – AI

People are increasingly comfortable with – and scared of – AI

The sentiments of employees around the world about AI and GenAI are evolving significantly, but cautious optimism endures, with 42 percent reporting confidence about the technologies’ impact on their work, compared to 26 percent at around this time last year. However, anxiety about the technologies is also on the rise, by 5 percentage points, and 49 percent of regular users believe their job may disappear in the next ten years, a view shared by only 24 percent of workers who do not use them. More →

Creative ways to save money for your startup

Creative ways to save money for your startup

Starting a startup is exciting, but the hard reality of limited finances may rapidly dampen the excitement

Starting a startup is exciting, but the hard reality of limited finances may rapidly dampen the excitement. Being a founding member means that you are familiar with the difficult chore of running every penny to meet your needs.  However, suppose you could think creatively, that is, outside the box, and find unusual approaches to cutting costs without compromising development or quality. Bootstrapping genius is not only a requirement in today’s fast-paced startup scene, but also a mark of honour. More →

Sound and vision – Nigel Oseland makes himself heard for the IN magazine profile

Sound and vision – Nigel Oseland makes himself heard for the IN magazine profile

Nigel Oseland opens up about people and places for IN Magazine

Interviewing people involves trying to tease out a bit of personal colour. Sometimes I already know what that is or might be. That is certainly the case with Nigel Oseland who I have known for many years, know to be from Wolverhampton and who studied psychology and computer science at Keele University in my home town. He went on to focus on environmental psychology while working at the Building Research Establishment in Watford in the late 1980s and 1990s. More →

North American office design lagging behind new working cultures

North American office design lagging behind new working cultures

tech firms,, once considered pioneers in innovative office design, are lagging behind the evolving work landscapeA report from design firm Hassell and workplace analytics business Density paints what it claims is a concerning picture of North American tech offices. It says that tech firms, once considered pioneers in innovative office design, are lagging behind the evolving work landscape. The report [registration] analysed over 1.4 million square feet of workspace usage between May 2023 and May 2024, revealed what it says is a troubling trend: underutilisation. On average, these tech offices only reached a peak occupancy of 34 percent, meaning a significant portion of the space – potentially costing companies up to $40 million annually in wasted rent – sits empty. More →

Visit NeoCon, but Chicago has become a tale of two venues

Visit NeoCon, but Chicago has become a tale of two venues

NeoCon may not be the only show in town now, but both it and Design Days are must attend events in the office design calendarChicago is a city which never fails to amaze whether you are visiting for NeoCon or for any other reason. It’s the epitome of extroversion, with its magnificent architecture, larger than life people, almost constant, ear-splitting commotion and frantic comings and goings. Annual visits to the city invariably present a profusion of elegant new skyscrapers of different shapes, styles and colours, which seem to be trying to outdo each other. It’s as if Chicago is constantly trying to outperform all other cities, as well as its own past. More →

AI could save the public sector millions of hours of time each week, claims report

AI could save the public sector millions of hours of time each week, claims report

A new report from Microsoft argues AI could save more than four hours per week on administrative tasks - per staff member across all public sectorsA new report commissioned by Microsoft claims that the scale of administration required of the UK’s public sector is drawing front line workers away from delivering frontline services, and impacting the motivation, engagement and even mental health of large proportions of the public workforce. The research, developed by Dr Chris Brauer, Director of Innovation at Goldsmiths University and Symmetry features in a new report from Microsoft, Harnessing the Power of AI for the Public Sector and argues AI could save more than four hours per week on administrative tasks per staff member across all public sectors. More →